Affects older persons; peak incidence between 6 -7th decades. Tumor cells secrete an M protein (commonly IgM) Mixture of B cells ranging from small lymphocytes to plasmacytic lymphocytes to plasma cells. Involves lymph nodes, bone marrow, and spleen at presentation.

Initially, you will need to learn some basics about Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM), sometimes referred to as a lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL).  Newly diagnosed?  Well striveforgoodhealth.com understands that this is a very difficult time for you. Not only are you, your family and your friends experiencing the gamut of different emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis, but there is so much new information to learn.

Here’s one place to start in getting information on this diagnosis!

Let’s understand first what is effected in the body and answer the questions that probably you are asking yourself  (pt or family or friends).

What is effected in this disease? 

B Lymphocytes are effected; they are a type of white blood cell that makes antibodies. B lymphocytes are part of the immune system and develop from stem cells in the bone marrow. Same with T cells.  T- and B-cells are highly specialized defender cells – different groups of cells are tailored to different germs. When your body is infected with a particular germ, only the T- and B-cells that recognise it will respond. These selected cells then quickly multiply, creating an army of identical cells to fight the infection. Special types of T- and B-cells ‘remember’ the invader, making you immune to a second attack.

What’s so special about the B cells?

With the help of T-cells, B-cells make special Y-shaped proteins called antibodies. Antibodies stick to antigens on the surface of germs, stopping them in their tracks, creating clumps that alert your body to the presence of intruders. Your body then starts to make toxic substances to fight them. Patrolling defender cells called phagocytes engulf and destroy antibody-covered intruders.

With this disease what happens to the B Cells?

When diagnosed with Waldenstrom’s macroglobulinemia (WM) which is a lymphoma or cancer. It affects a type of white blood cell called a B-lymphocyte or B-cell, which normally matures into a plasma cell whose job is to manufacture immunoglobulins (antibodies) to help the body fight infection. In WM, there is a malignant change to the B-cell in the late stages of maturing and it continues to proliferate as a clone of identical cells, primarily in the bone marrow, but also in the lymph nodes and other tissues and organs.  It is known as lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) and must be associated with the production of an antibody protein or immunoglobulin known as IgM in order for WM to be diagnosed.

What’s the difference of WM versus LPL?  Are they the same disease? 

Sometimes WM and LPL (lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma) are used interchangeably although WM is really an LPL. However, WM comprises about 90 – 95% of all LPL patients.

“Dietary and lifestyle changes are the first step in treating GERD. Certain foods make the reflux worse. Suggestions to help alleviate symptoms include:

• Lose weight if you are overweight — of all of the lifestyle changes you can make, this one is the most effective.
• Avoid foods that increase the level of acid in your stomach, including caffeinated beverages.
• Avoid foods that decrease the pressure in the lower esophagus, such as fatty foods, alcohol and peppermint.”

John Hopkins Medicine (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) Treatment | Johns Hopkins Medicine)

Understanding what GERD is, its causes, its symptoms, the effects it has on your body and the way your body responds to specific treatments is necessary to help you devise a plan with your activities of daily living, including diet, to help manage the condition. If you haven’t seen my Part 1 just click on it onto my webpage than read yesterday’s article part 1 than read this. All you can do is apply your own GERD diet experimentation to the suggestions of others and try available treatments until you find what works for you. Also, there are foods that hve a reputation for being ‘safe’ (foods to avoid acid reflux) in most cases, as well as others that are known for being main contributors to acid reflux.

I recommend you go tohttp://www.gerd-diet.com which helps explain about foods and how they work with GERD. They do state the following:

Armoring Yourself with Patience and Willingness to Experiment (meaning this takes time in finding out what exacerbates your GERD and what helps it heal—Like an open wound, it takes time.) Sorry,There Is No One-Size-To-Fit-All With-A-GERD Diet (for relief or resolution)

Your Own Trigger Foods.
Given the complex nature of GERD, this one has to be added. I know it is repetitive, but everyone has certain foods that irritate their condition and causes severe symptoms. Make a list of these foods and avoid them in the future. This means make a journal for the next 2 weeks or more and see what caused your GERD symptoms to remember them with not eating fast which can cause GERD also (habit change).

GERD Diet FoodsA List of Food Groups and What Is Safe and Best to Avoid The following lists are comprised of foods that are typically known to be ‘safe’ or to ‘trigger’ symptoms.

Again, just because something is on the “avoid” list does not mean that you cannot eat it. Similarly, something appearing on the “safe” list does not guarantee that it will not cause a problem for you. This is simply provided as a guideline to give you a place to start and to make it easier for you design your own personal GERD diet.

At this point, there is no alternative medicine therapies that have been accepted as proof for treatment(s) or 100% resolution for GERD.

However, like every other aspect of the disease, it really is an individual decision. Some people have reported natural remedies that have given amazing results with their GERD diet (healthier approach) while others find that prescription medications have little effect (meds can cause side effects temporary or permanently, depending on what it is).

GERD can be due obesity, lifestyle (unhealthy habits) and diet.

**It is recommended to see an MD first before making any decision on your own in treatment with a combination of or just one of the following: meds, diet or even health habit changes, especially for those people with disease/illness (s) present (Ex. Diabetes, cardiac disease, etc…).** 

“Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, happens when acid from your stomach backs up into your esophagus, the tube connecting your stomach to your mouth.

This digestive disorder affects the ring of muscle between your esophagus and your stomach. This ring is called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). If you have GERD, you may get heartburn or acid indigestion. Doctors think that some people may have it because of a condition called hiatal hernia. In most cases, you can ease your GERD symptoms through diet and lifestyle changes. But some people may need medication or surgery.”

Web M.D. (WebMD.com/GERD: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments, Remedies for Relief)

What is acid reflux?

A gastrointestinal (GI) disease that is caused by a valve located between the esophagus and stomach, which normally is a strong muscular ring of tissue. This valve normally opens and closes completely preventing food backing up (called reflux) in the esophagus allowing the contents to reach the throat to the mouth. With acid reflux, what happens is this valve gets over expanded frequently to the point the valve gets overstretched and no longer fits over the opening between the esophagus and the stomach with a tight fit. Due to loss of the elasticity it now is allowing leakage from the stomach with both food and fluids going up the esophagus to the throat to the mouth due to the action of reflux, during the digestion process. What happens during digestion the stomach contents with digestive fluids from the stomach (which are acidic) are refluxed, that are NOT normally in the esophagus. In conclusion, reflux sends stomach contents that’s returning (an acidic environment) upward in the esophagus which is now in an environment not use to being exposed to the digestive fluids=acidity, which are needed to perform the digestion process of our foods/fluids that are in the stomach only. This leakage of the valve is the cause of this problem occurring=GERD or GASTROINTESTINAL REFLUX.

When you don’t have GERD food and fluids, the nutrients we swallow goes down the esophagus to the valve where it opens letting the contents into the stomach.  Than digestion takes place in about 1-2 hours after eating with no feeling of heartburn or foods or fluids we ate don’t come back up in our throat to the mouth. Normally the valve is tight enough in preventing reflux=no leakage going back up to the mouth with food and acid during digestion (the primary purpose of its function).  This means during digestion the food gets into the stomach which is broken down into smaller particles by the digestive acid fluids allowing the nutrients to pass into the bloodstream with the waste products staying in the stomach to reach the rectum.  So when stomach digestion is complete it passes all the waste products onto the smaller intestines to the larger intestines to the rectum to be evacuated, without leakage or reflux.  With GERD this contents does go backward sending it to the mouth again.

The signs and symptoms (s/s) of GERD or acid reflux:

1-Heartburn is the classic GERD symptom. It’s best described as a burning sensation in the chest and/or discomfort in the upper belly or abdomen accompanied by a feeling of fullness.
2- Regurgitation is the involuntary return of partially digested food from the stomach into the mouth. This uncomfortable symptom is commonly caused by GERD, since the esophageal sphincter (valve) is damaged to such a severe degree that the stomach juices (acidotic) can freely reflux to the level of the throat or mouth.
3-Pain present behind the sternum (chest pain) to the upper mid abdomen (where the stomach is). If severe call your M.D. or doctor to have evaluated (especially if in the chest).
4-Chronic cough to hoarseness                                                                       5-Recurrent pneumonias                                                                         6-Bloating 7-Nausea 8-Vomiting (yellow/green)
9-Lump in the throat 10-Difficulty swallowing                                                   11-Chronic sore throat 12-Laryngitis 13-Post nasal drip
14-Ear Aches 15-Tooth decay or gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) or bad breath this is due to the acid fluids with the foods and fluids regurgitated back to the mouth from the stomach.

Complications that are caused by GERD when left untreated:

1-Narrowing of the esophagus called esophageal stricture. This is due to damage to cells in the lower esophageal from acid exposure that leads to scarring of the tissue. The scar tissue narrows the food pathway causing difficulty to swallow called dysphagia.
2-Esophagitis – inflammation of the esophagus. This constant backwash of acid can irritate the lining of your esophagus. Over time, the inflammation can cause complications such as bleeding or breathing problems leading into the next problem. 3-Esophageal Ulcers – Due to frequent exposure to acidic fluids and foods to the esophagus the mucosa gets irritated so bad it will even erode the mucosa causing skin ulceration. The esophagus environment is not use to the stomach’s = acidic. Take the outer skin of the body, if exposed long enough to acidic chemicals the skin will burn. Same principle for the esophagus constantly exposed to the environment of the stomach’s content of acidic fluids every time digestion takes place.
4-Precancerous changes to the esophagus (Barrett’s esophagus). In Barrett’s esophagus, the color and composition of the tissue lining the lower esophagus change. These changes are associated with risk of esophageal cancer. The risk of cancer is low. Cancer is rare but can happen (adenocarcinoma of the esophagus).

Risk factors:

Conditions that increase the risk of GERD would
include: Obesity, Pregnancy, Smoking, Dry Mouth, Diabetes, Asthma, Connective Tissue Disorders like scleroderma, delayed stomach empting, Zollinger-Ellison syndrome (ZES) (This is a rare disorder characterized by one or more tumors in the pancreas, duodenum, or both. The tumors cause the stomach to make too much acid, leading to peptic ulcers in the duodenum. The tumors are sometimes cancerous and spread to other areas of the body.).

Treatment:

The key to treatment is prevention but if already diagnosed GERD than it would be maintenance. There is no one answer but start with being checked by your physician if you have any symptoms indicative of this diagnosis. Start with a getting a very good diagnostic tool ordered by your doctor called an Upper GI series (endoscopy) and when it’s done it will tell the M.D. a lot in what’s going on.

Then there is medications as a remedy, that can be useful, they are classified as proton pump inhibitors to H2 Inhibitors with more.

Another great key to the treatment is your LIFESTYLE=Diet (not eating acid foods, not eating fast), activity/exercise, your height compared to your weight (BMI or simply what you weigh) and lastly if you practice healthy vs. unhealthy habits.

If you would like to learn more about this come back tomorrow to my web page when I go further on the topic GERD (part 2) regarding the diet for the disease.

“Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is considered a rare, sporadic disease. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 100,000 people in the United States have IPF. Approximately 30,000 to 40,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Worldwide, IPF affects 13 to 20 out of every 100,000 people.

“Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. This thickened, stiff tissue makes it harder for the lungs to work properly. Pulmonary fibrosis worsens over time. Some people can stay stable for a long time, but the condition gets worse faster in others. As it gets worse, people become more and more short of breath.”

MAYO CLINIC (Pulmonary fibrosis – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic)

“The New Year is often approached with new goals and mindsets, many of which focus on health, including reducing alcohol consumption. The Dry January campaign is one approach to help those who are sober curious or simply interested in cutting back in the new year.

Dry January is a month-long journey to stop drinking. It initially started as a campaign in the UK in 2013 under the organization Alcohol Change UK and quickly caught on worldwide as a growing trend. Since this campaign launched, nearly a quarter of all Americans have participated in Dry January each year.

The World Health Organization warns that no level of alcohol consumption is safe for health, and therefore, abstaining from alcohol is the best way to prevent alcohol-related diseases that can affect your heart, kidneys, brain, and liver. Alcohol consumption is a leading preventable cause of death in the U.S., according to a 2022 study published in JAMA Network Open, and it seems that alcohol consumption in the United States is not stopping or slowing down anytime soon.

According to a 2023 Gallup survey:

62% of Americans consume alcohol
69% of these adults say they last had a drink within the past week. This includes 32% whose most recent drink was in the last 24 hours.
20% of adults in this survey say they drink more than they should
Beer and liquor sales have increased and especially are on the rise during the holiday season in December.
Younger generations drink less, & older generations continue to drink more.”

Alcohol Help (alcohol.com/Dry January 2025: The Ultimate Guide)

“An estimated 4.22 million U.S. adults had glaucoma in 2022, and 1.49 million had vision-affecting glaucoma, with “substantial variation” in prevalence by region and demographics, according to a research study published in JAMA Ophthalmology